Tales of a Traveller

Washington Irving

Description

Washington Irving created the fictional narrator Geoffrey Crayon, and a number of Irving's most popular works are written in the voice of this high-strung, eccentric, but ultimately well-meaning fellow. In this essay collection, Crayon hits the road for a travel tour and reports back with his observations.

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776675555
• Langue: English

Extrait

TALES OF A TRAVELLER
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WASHINGTON IRVING
 
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Tales of a Traveller First published in 1824 Epub ISBN 978-1-77667-555-5 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77667-556-2 © 2015 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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PART FIRST - STRANGE STORIES BY A NERVOUS GENTLEMAN A Hunting Dinner The Adventure of My Uncle The Adventure of My Aunt The Bold Dragoon;Or the Adventure of My Grandfather The Adventure of the Mysterious Picture The Adventure of the Mysterious Stranger The Story of the Young Italian PART SECOND - BUCKTHORNE AND HIS FRIENDS Literary Life A Literary Dinner The Club of Queer Fellows The Poor Devil Author Buckthorne, or the Young Man of Great Expectations The Booby Squire The Strolling Manager PART THIRD - THE ITALIAN BANDITTI The Inn at Terracina The Adventure of the Little Antiquary The Adventure of the Popkins Family The Painter's Adventure The Story of the Bandit Chieftain The Story of the Young Robber PART FOURTH - THE MONEY DIGGERS Hell Gate Kidd the Pirate The Devil and Tom Walker Wolfert Webber; or, Golden Dreams The Adventure of Sam, the Black Fisherman Endnotes
PART FIRST - STRANGE STORIES BY A NERVOUS GENTLEMAN
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Tony . I'll tell you more; there was a fish taken, A monstrous fish, with, a sword by's side, a long sword, A pike in's neck, and a gun in's nose, a huge gun, And letters of mart in's mouth, from the Duke of Florence. Cleanthes . This is a monstrous lie. Tony . I do confess it. Do you think I'd tell you truths!
Fletcher's "A Wife for a Month".
The following adventures were related to me by the same nervousgentleman who told me the romantic tale of THE STOUT GENTLEMAN,published in Bracebridge Hall.
It is very singular, that although I expressly stated that story tohave been told to me, and described the very person who told it, stillit has been received as an adventure that happened to myself. Now, Iprotest I never met with any adventure of the kind. I should not havegrieved at this, had it not been intimated by the author of Waverley,in an introduction to his romance of Peveril of the Peak, that he washimself the Stout Gentleman alluded to. I have ever since beenimportuned by letters and questions from gentlemen, and particularlyfrom ladies without number, touching what I had seen of the greatunknown.
Now, all this is extremely tantalizing. It is like being congratulatedon the high prize when one has drawn a blank; for I have just as greata desire as any one of the public to penetrate the mystery of thatvery singular personage, whose voice fills every corner of the world,without any one being able to tell from whence it comes. He who keepsup such a wonderful and whimsical incognito: whom nobody knows, andyet whom every body thinks he can swear to.
My friend, the nervous gentleman, also, who is a man of very shy,Retired habits, complains that he has been excessively annoyed inconsequence of its getting about in his neighborhood that he is thefortunate personage. Insomuch, that he has become a character ofconsiderable notoriety in two or three country towns; and has beenrepeatedly teased to exhibit himself at blue-stocking parties, for noother reason than that of being "the gentleman who has had a glimpseof the author of Waverley."
Indeed, the poor man has grown ten times as nervous as ever, since hehas discovered, on such good authority, who the stout gentleman was;and will never forgive himself for not having made a more resoluteeffort to get a full sight of him. He has anxiously endeavored to callup a recollection of what he saw of that portly personage; and hasever since kept a curious eye on all gentlemen of more than ordinarydimensions, whom he has seen getting into stage coaches. All in vain!The features he had caught a glimpse of seem common to the whole raceof stout gentlemen; and the great unknown remains as great an unknownas ever.
A Hunting Dinner
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I was once at a hunting dinner, given by a worthy fox-hunting oldBaronet, who kept Bachelor's Hall in jovial style, in an ancientrook-haunted family mansion, in one of the middle counties. He had beena devoted admirer of the fair sex in his young days; but havingtravelled much, studied the sex in various countries with distinguishedsuccess, and returned home profoundly instructed, as he supposed, inthe ways of woman, and a perfect master of the art of pleasing, he hadthe mortification of being jilted by a little boarding school girl, whowas scarcely versed in the accidence of love.
The Baronet was completely overcome by such an incredible defeat;retired from the world in disgust, put himself under the government ofhis housekeeper, and took to fox-hunting like a perfect Jehu. Whateverpoets may say to the contrary, a man will grow out of love as he growsold; and a pack of fox hounds may chase out of his heart even thememory of a boarding-school goddess. The Baronet was when I saw him asmerry and mellow an old bachelor as ever followed a hound; and thelove he had once felt for one woman had spread itself over the wholesex; so that there was not a pretty face in the whole country round,but came in for a share.
The dinner was prolonged till a late hour; for our host having noladies in his household to summon us to the drawing-room, the bottlemaintained its true bachelor sway, unrivalled by its potent enemy thetea-kettle. The old hall in which we dined echoed to bursts ofrobustious fox-hunting merriment, that made the ancient antlers shakeon the walls. By degrees, however, the wine and wassail of mine hostbegan to operate upon bodies already a little jaded by the chase. Thechoice spirits that flashed up at the beginning of the dinner, sparkledfor a time, then gradually went out one after another, or only emittednow and then a faint gleam from the socket.
Some of the briskest talkers, who had given tongue so bravely at thefirst burst, fell fast asleep; and none kept on their way but certainof those long-winded prosers, who, like short-legged hounds, worry onunnoticed at the bottom of conversation, but are sure to be in at thedeath. Even these at length subsided into silence; and scarcely anything was heard but the nasal communications of two or three veteranmasticators, who, having been silent while awake, were indemnifyingthe company in their sleep.
At length the announcement of tea and coffee in the cedar parlorroused all hands from this temporary torpor. Every one awokemarvellously renovated, and while sipping the refreshing beverage outof the Baronet's old-fashioned hereditary china, began to think ofdeparting for their several homes. But here a sudden difficulty arose.While we had been prolonging our repast, a heavy winter storm had setin, with snow, rain, and sleet, driven by such bitter blasts of wind,that they threatened to penetrate to the very bone.
"It's all in vain," said our hospitable host, "to think of puttingone's head out of doors in such weather. So, gentlemen, I hold you myguests for this night at least, and will have your quarters preparedaccordingly."
The unruly weather, which became more and more tempestuous, renderedThe hospitable suggestion unanswerable. The only question was, whethersuch an unexpected accession of company, to an already crowded house,would not put the housekeeper to her trumps to accommodate them.
"Pshaw," cried mine host, "did you ever know of a Bachelor's Hall thatwas not elastic, and able to accommodate twice as many as it couldhold?" So out of a good-humored pique the housekeeper was summoned toconsultation before us all. The old lady appeared, in her gala suit offaded brocade, which rustled with flurry and agitation, for in spiteof mine host's bravado, she was a little perplexed. But in abachelor's house, and with bachelor guests, these matters are readilymanaged. There is no lady of the house to stand upon squeamish pointsabout lodging guests in odd holes and corners, and exposing the shabbyparts of the establishment. A bachelor's housekeeper is used to shiftsand emergencies. After much worrying to and fro, and diversconsultations about the red room, and the blue room, and the chintzroom, and the damask room, and the little room with the bow window,the matter was finally arranged.
When all this was done, we were once more summoned to the standingRural amusement of eating. The time that had been consumed in dozingafter dinner, and in the refreshment and consultation of the cedarparlor, was sufficient, in the opinion of the rosy-faced butler, toengender a reasonable appetite for supper. A slight repast hadtherefore been tricked up from the residue of dinner, consisting ofcold sirloin of beef; hashed venison; a devilled leg of a turkey orso, and a few other of those light articles taken by country gentlemento ensure sound sleep and heavy snoring.
The nap after dinner had brightened up every one's wit; and a greatdeal of excellent humor was expended upon the perplexities of minehost and his housekeeper, by certain married gentlemen of the company,who considered themselves privileged in joking with a bachelor'sestablishment. From this the banter turned as to what quarters eachwould find, on being thus suddenly billeted in so antiquated amansion.
"By my soul," said an Irish captain of dragoons, one of the most merryand boisterous of the party—"by my soul, but I should not besurprised if some of those good-looking gentlefolks that hang alongthe walls, should walk about the rooms of this stormy night; or if Ishould fi